Thursday's Frosty Mug

Some things to read while making my breakfast.

In possibly the best news of the day, Braden Looper does not expect to miss a start after taking a line drive off his pitching arm in last night's game. Tom H. isn't as optimistic. I'm assuming we'll get another update in a day or two.

The Brewers could hardly afford another injury to a starter, as Mike Burns is already being pressed into service today and Seth McClung will start Saturday. If Looper can't make his start, the Brewers will likely have no choice but to recall Manny Parra from AAA. CZWief is starting to compare this year's rotation to the disaster that was 2002.

Speaking of today's game, the Brewers will likely face Denard Span, who the Twins are expected to activate, but will not face Nick Punto, who has been sent home to have his ribs examined.

Beyond the Box Score has Pitch F/x leaderboards. Several Brewers make appearances, but the most interesting stat belongs to Yovani Gallardo. Opposing hitters are swinging at just 40% of his pitches, the second lowest percentage in all of baseball.

Wow, are we ever awash in minor league notes today:

• 2009 first round pick Eric Arnett had quite the day yesterday. First, he ate at Pizza Hut, then he allowed a run on a hit, two walks and an HBP in one inning of work in his pro debut for Helena, and was later profiled in the Helena Independent Record. (h/t Brew Crew Online)
• Alcides Escobar continues to draw notice in AAA. Jason Grey of ESPN listed Escobar as one of two prospects who may make a position switch to accelerate their rise to the majors. Matt Patterson of the Oklahoman profiled Escobar before a recent game against the RedHawks.
• Adam McCalvy has a profile of Zach Braddock, who the Brewers recently promoted to AA. Braddock is working to overcome bipolar disorder.
• The 2009 Nashville Sounds are a huge improvement over their 2008 counterpart and their stadium underwent some offseason improvement, but At The Old Ball Game notes that the Sounds are still averaging just 4,067 fans per game, the second lowest total in the Pacific Coast League.
• New fan favorite Cameron Garfield continues to draw attention: Jonathan Mayo of MiLB.com says his 5-for-5, 3 RBI debut for Helena was easily the best debut so far.
• Brewer 43rd round pick Kyle Dhanani was profiled in his hometown paper. The reporter went the extra mile by calling his mom for the "analysis" quote.
• The Brewers also signed an undrafted free agent, pitcher Andrew Dunn of Southern Illinois University.
• While those two players begin their professional careers, Chris Duffy might be ending his. He's been placed on the inactive list in Nashville. Apparently he left the team weeks ago for the birth of his child, and never returned.

Looking for another flooding update? Tom H. has you covered with notes on the DOT's reaction and continuing work to determine the cost of the damage.

Beyond the Box Score dropped the Brewers from 16th to 17th in their most recent Power Rankings, but that's still good enough for first place in the Central.

Around the league:

A's: Placed Josh Outman on the DL with an elbow sprain.
Braves: Kenshin Kawakami left last night's start after taking a line drive off his neck, but is not expected to miss a start.
Cubs: Placed Reed Johnson on the DL with back issues.
Indians: Acquired reliever Jose Veras from the Yankees for cash.
Marlins: Placed closer Matt Lindstrom on the DL with an elbow sprain.
Mets: Designated lefty Jon Switzer for assignment.
Nationals: Designated Kip Wells for assignment.
Yankees: Designated Angel Berroa for assignment.

There are also two former Brewer notes to pass along today: Baseball America notes that the Twins released Ben Hendrickson, and Bill Ladson of Nationals.com reports Ronnie Belliard is considering retiring after the season. Belliard has picked up just two at-bats since June 10.

Just when you thought it was safe to go outside, the Oklahoma City RedHawks have activated Orlando Hernandez to throw the banana.

I'm guessing there are probably a few people reading this site who consistently watch Brewer games, right? Any of you watch closely enough to identify which Brewers wear protection on their elbows? If you do, Plunk Everyone could use your help.

The movie is probably dead now so it's all a moot point, but the entire script for the Moneyball movie is available online, if you're interested. Sam Miller of the OC Register says the script "sort of works."

If you currently have a crappy sales job (selling sand in the desert, for example) and you're looking for a slightly easier gig, maybe you should join the Marlins Community Sales Force.

Oh, and today is the second anniversary of Manny Parra's AAA perfect game.

Drink up.